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Chaos and Creation in the Backyard screening, HMV 150 Oxford Street, London

15th September 2005

A few weeks ago I entered a promotion on HMV's website by pre-ordering Paul McCartney's new album Chaos and Creation In the Backyard. Somehow I was lucky enough to be one of 300 winners who were selected to attend the exclusive screening at HMV's flagship store, 150 Oxford Street, London W1 which took place today after the store closed at 9.30 pm.

I was entitled to take a guest and entry to the event was via numbered wristbands, so I took the afternoon off work and arrived at HMV at 6.30 shortly before Richard (I offered the my guest ticket up to the people I know through the BBFC and he 'bagsied' it first). We were issued with wristbands 16 and 17 and then went off to a cheap'n'cheerful caf near Piccadilly for a bite to eat, along with some of Richard's old friends who we met in the queue. I got to hear a load of outrageous stories of how they used to camp outside of Paul's Cavendish house and Air studios in the early 1980s to catch a glimpse of Paul and maybe a "hello" and... well, all the stuff they got up to, back in the day.

The screening itself was cool but for the main part it was just a showing of the DVD that comes with the special edition of the CD. This was followed by an as-live film showing Paul and his band rehearsing three new tracks from CACITB in preparation for the US tour. At the end of the screening (still pre-recorded), Paul called out a number that corresponded to one of the wristbands -- this entitled the bearer and a guest to win a trip to New York to see Paul's concert at Madison Square Gardens. Needless to say I didn't win, but it was a fun and exciting evening out anyway.

Picked up some bits of shopping while I was there -- the new Pink Floyd London 1966-1967 DVD and the Cream Farewell Concert [1968] DVD. Very nice.

[Wristband]
The wristband that got me so near -- but so far -- to Paul's concert at Madison Square Gardens

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